Professional gamers do not need a field, court or track to be competitive. In the realm of electronic sports (or “e-sports”), players can participate in varying levels of online competition for cash, prizes and glory. The established genres in professional gaming are real-time strategy (RTS), fighting, first-person shooter (FPS), massively-multiplayer online (MMOG), and racing. In the past few years, World of Warcraft has notably dominated much of the gaming world and its popularity has translated into a subgenre of e-sports. Also referred to as “WOW”, the game is played in tournaments like the World of Warcraft Global Arena, with first place prizes exceeding 50,000 dollars. Popular online leagues are Battle.net, Electronic Sports League and eCompete-Online, while the most notable competitions have become the World Cyber Games and the Electronic Sports World Cup. These are international championships that include multiple events and cash prizes of over $400,000. Not surprisingly, the rise of competitive gaming has created a new market for corporate sponsorship. These sponsorships endorse tournaments, teams and individual players, and are often worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to many, Lim Yo-Hwan (aka BoxeR) is regarded as the best eSports player of all time. Accumulating over half a million in annual prize money and endorsement deals, BoxeR epitomizes the fame and fortune to be had in professional gaming today. Get it, gamers.
Overview
Professional gamers do not need a field, court or track to be competitive. In the realm of electronic sports (or “e-sports”), players can participate in varying levels of online competition for cash, prizes and glory. The established genres in professional gaming are real-time strategy (RTS), fighting, first-person shooter (FPS), massively-multiplayer online (MMOG), and racing. In the past few years, World of Warcraft has notably dominated much of the gaming world and its popularity has translated into a subgenre of e-sports. Also referred to as “WOW”, the game is played in tournaments like the World of Warcraft Global Arena, with first place prizes exceeding 50,000 dollars. Popular online leagues are Battle.net, Electronic Sports League and eCompete-Online, while the most notable competitions have become the World Cyber Games and the Electronic Sports World Cup. These are international championships that include multiple events and cash prizes of over $400,000. Not surprisingly, the rise of competitive gaming has created a new market for corporate sponsorship. These sponsorships endorse tournaments, teams and individual players, and are often worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to many, Lim Yo-Hwan (aka BoxeR) is regarded as the best eSports player of all time. Accumulating over half a million in annual prize money and endorsement deals, BoxeR epitomizes the fame and fortune to be had in professional gaming today. Get it, gamers.History
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